Contact: Zach Lowe & Katie Rowley – (202) 224-5323
Calls on FCC to Use Its Influence to Help Wisconsinites Unable to Watch Wisconsin-Related Programming Such as Green Bay Packers Football Games
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is continuing his effort to make it easier for residents living in northern and western Wisconsin to receive Wisconsin-related television programming, including in-state news, weather, sports and entertainment. In a letter to the FCC, Feingold is urging the Commission to use its technical expertise and influence in the industry to find a solution. Wisconsin has 13 counties that are part of Minnesota or Michigan television markets, leaving many of the 157,210 Wisconsin households in those counties with programming that is not tailored to Wisconsin.
“When I hold listening sessions in northern and western Wisconsin counties, people want to know why they are unable to receive Wisconsin news, weather and sports on their televisions,” Feingold said. “Satellite providers, broadcasters, networks and sport leagues all seem to agree that a solution is possible, but Wisconsinites are still waiting. I am calling on the FCC to use its expertise and influence to do what it can to help. And as another season of Green Bay Packers football gets set to kick off, it is long past time to ensure Wisconsinites are able to watch the programming that matters to them.”
Feingold has fought for several years to help northern and western Wisconsin to receive Wisconsin-related television programming. During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on February 25, 2009, Feingold raised these concerns and questioned TV executives about a solution. Later in the year, Feingold teamed up with Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl in offering an amendment to the Satellite Television Modernization Act of 2009. Although the amendment did not get a vote, Feingold remains committed to pursuing all options to help those affected Wisconsinites receive Wisconsin-based coverage.
A copy of the letter can be viewed below.
July 28, 2010
The Honorable Julius Genachowski
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
Dear Chairman Genachowski:
Given the Federal Communications Commission’s jurisdiction over telecommunications, I write to ask for your help resolving a problem that has affected many, particularly rural residents in western and northern Wisconsin—the inability to receive in-state news, weather, sports and entertainment on their television. It is a complicated issue involving multiple parties, all of whom seem to acknowledge that a solution should be possible under current rules. I ask the Commission to use its technical expertise and oversight ability to bring the parties together to find a narrow solution to the benefit of consumers.
A number of my rural constituents who rely on satellite for television have expressed concerns over the years about their inability to receive Wisconsin-based news, weather, sports and entertainment. In total there are 13 counties in Wisconsin in this situation and, to make the situation even more complicated, some residents in these counties like receiving the out-of-state broadcasts, although many wish to receive at least the local portion of the broadcasts from the closest in-state stations in addition to the designated “local” stations according to Nielsen’s media markets. While many of the local cable providers in the affected counties have been able to provide this service to their viewers, the same is not true for the mostly rural residents of these typically sparsely populated counties who rely on satellite. These are also the same areas where broadband is unavailable or too expensive so accessing the emerging television content on the Internet is precluded by slow online Internet connections.
In addition to this “orphan” county issue, concerns have also been expressed about the Nielsen determinations. There are counties in Wisconsin where half the county is closer to and connected to one media market and half to a different media market, yet the Nielsen determination lumps them all together. This raises the question of whether relying exclusively on these maps is the best thing for the public.
Since so many local cable providers have been able to work out business arrangements with in-state broadcasters in adjacent markets in the orphan counties, I hope that similar solutions could be found to allow non-syndicated and non-duplicated local programming for satellite providers. While all the parties—satellite television providers, broadcasters, networks and sports leagues–seem to agree that a business solution should be possible, no such solution has been forthcoming.
I urge the Commission to provide its assistance and advice in achieving both short term and long term solutions to this issue. While the Commission may have limited authority to mandate a solution among the different businesses involved, the Commission has considerable technical expertise and experience in these industries that should allow it to help the parties reach a mutually agreeable solution that serves the needs of rural Americans. I also ask the Commission to look into the Nielsen media market boundaries.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Senator Russell D. Feingold
CC: The Honorable Michael J. Copps
The Honorable Robert M. McDowell
The Honorable Mignon L. Clyburn
The Honorable Meredith Attwell Baker
Senator Gordon H. Smith, President and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters
Michael White, Chairman, President & CEO, DIRECTV
Charles W. Ergen, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, Dish Network
Roger Goodell, Commissioner, National Football League
Kyle McSlarrow, President & CEO, National Cable and Telecommunications Association
Anne Sweeney, President, Disney/ABC Television Group
Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation
Gaude Lydia Paez, Vice President Communications, Fox Broadcasting Company
Jeff Zucker, President and CEO, NBC Universal
